"The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of the consent of the people. The streams of national power ought to flow immediately from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority."
- Federalist Paper No. 22

What kind of bodyguards do CEOs get?A WSJ report says only about 25 US CEOs get round-the-clock protection. That's surprising. It's also a good reinforcement of the notion that everyone should know some form of self-defense, like Tae Kwon-Do. Self-defense tactics are certainly imperfect, but as the adage goes, you don't have to outrun the bear...you just have to outrun one of the other hunters. But if people are close enough to put a pie in your face, they're close enough to stab or shoot you, too.

"How to Defeat Kim Jong-Il"(Video) A North Korean propaganda film edited to remove all images of the bouffanted one. The best happens about halfway through, when his face is replaced with a picture of Gary Coleman.

Violence escalates between Israel and LebanonIsrael has attacked in suburbs of Beirut and on the highway between Beirut and Damascus; Hezbollah is firing rockets into Israel, sending many Israelis into bomb shelters. What's easy to forget is that the region is measured in tens of miles, not hundreds or thousands.